(Subscription required) Sen. Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, said Wednesday he hopes the California State Auditor can quickly complete an audit of the botched February bar exam. But he acknowledged that "quick" is a relative term when speaking about such a massive undertaking--and that at least two or three more exam dates will happen in the meantime.

The move was part of a budget trailer bill, otherwise known as a “budget bill junior,” that gets funds moving before the start of the new fiscal year in July. The bill also authorized spending to support local governments affected by the winter Los Angeles fires, and allocated $181 million in bond funds to nature conservancies for forest resilience.

Briefly addressing a Chancery Club reception for the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice said that not only is judicial independence important, but so is the freedom of lawyers to represent clients and cases without fear of retribution.

(Subscription required) NetChoice, representing tech giants like Meta and Amazon, sued California AG Rob Bonta to halt SB 1144, arguing its strict rules on third-party sellers threaten online marketplaces.